Very impressed with the service provided by the Albert Grace team. Sophie was brilliant throughout the renting process, and when she was not available someone else from the team would step in and help. I'm really glad that hubby and I found the flat that we wanted managed by a fantastic agency.

Just a few thoughts on Malay and his team. From inception to finish the service was nothing less than professional. Malay has done some considerable renovation on my my rental properties and from the initial specification to the final fitting the process was smooth,measured and transparent. Every last detail was taken care off and great care was taken not to inhibit the tenants so as to avoid problems for me. I will certainly be using Malay for future projects.

Five stars are not enough to describe how excellent Sophie and Malay have been in supporting us in the tenancy process. On top of being very professional, they have also been extremely kind, honest and pleasant people to deal with. All the properties we have viewed with them were stunning! Definitely recommended!

Excellent, friendly and professional service provided over our 3-year tenancy - from our first meeting right the way through to our departure date. Clearly had the tenants interests at heart while maintaining a strong relationship with the landlord Highly recommended estate agent

Great guys at AG, always on hand with any queries I had and very thorough and professional, and anyone would expect them to be, with a Real Estate market guru heralding the business who's hands on approach and focus to deliver is top notch and incomparable.

Never disappoint - always deliver! A great family run company where customer service is right at forefront. I have been using 'Albert Grace Estate Agents' for 16 years. They are good value for money and as a fully managed property service I know my rental property is in good hands. Start to finish, professional, efficient, honest and straight talking.

We have been working along side Albert Grace and have to say that Malay and his colleagues are a great team and a great asset to the company. They are very proactive, honest and reliable. We look forward to many more years of working together. Thank you for all your hard work.

The team at Albert Grace Estate is incredible. From renting my flatour quickly and to the right candidates they are always proactive andprovide good support. Also they have good knowledge about currentlaws, they even help me find cheaper insurance and they have greatnetwork. Highly recommend them anytime.

Before I bought a property for investment, I happened to talk to Albert Grace Estates.They advised me so well that I directly built trust in their capabilities. Their knowledge about the real estate market is solid. They react very fast and found a perfect property to invest in.Albert Grace is now managing my new property and I am very pleased with their service. We rented the property and they fully manage all aspects of rental.

Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) Update Aug 2017

Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) Update Aug 2017

In April 2018, private rental properties will need to have a minimum EPC rating of E or it will be illegal to rent them to tenants. This change will only apply to new tenancies and renewals. By April 2020, the rule will be extended to incorporate all private rentals regardless of when the tenancy started. Landlords that breach these regulations may face a fine of up to £5,000.

Properties with a EPC rating of F or G will either need to be taken off the market after this date or improvements implemented. Where the EPC indicates a rating of F or G it will be considered substandard under the regulations.

The Government is expected to publish specific guidance for landlords in October this year to clarify the changes. The clarification will hopefully include details on any cost capping on the improvement works landlords are expected to carry out and will also confirm that some, if not all, listed buildings are exempt from the change.

The regulations prohibit any landlord from letting any substandard property until the recommended energy efficiency improvements in the EPC have been carried out. Such works only needs to be appropriate, permissible and cost-effective under the regulations but landlords are free to carry out works to an even higher standard.

Local authorities will be responsible for enforcing the regulations. They have the power to serve a notice and request that a landlord provide further information to prove compliance. Where they find that a landlord is in breach they can impose a financial penalty.

Further penalties can also be imposed where landlords continue to rent out properties despite the breach and original fine. Such fines will not affect the legality of the tenancy which means that rent is still due and payable.

There are exemptions to the regulations, such as:

The landlord is required to obtain a third party’s consent or permission to undertake improvements, and such consent was denied, or imposed unreasonable conditions.

The landlord’s tenant withholds consent for the works.

A suitably qualified independent surveyor considers that the works will cause a capital devaluation of the property of more than 5%.

The extent of any exemption for listed buildings or buildings in conservation areas remains unclear. We will of course provide an update on this when we can.